Hello, fellow visionary entrepreneur!
Can I ask you something? Were you ever the kid in class who was told she was too bossy? Or that you raised your hand too often and needed to ‘give other people a chance’? Did a coworker ever give you the feedback that you were ‘just a little bit too much’ and needed to ‘take it down to a 9’? Well, then we’re going to get along swimmingly.
Growing up as an enthusiastic, curious, confident young girl I always struggled to find the right outlet for my creativity and leadership. When I found the world of advertising and marketing it allowed me to unleash all the things I was passionate about and leverage my natural skills.
20 years in the advertising and marketing industry
Over the past 20 years, I've navigated the multifaceted world of advertising agencies - from international agencies overseeing global Fortune 500 brands to intimate boutique agencies giving voices to brands in beauty, hospitality, aviation, food and beverage, and even public utilities. But regardless of the client size or industry, my core approach remains unchanged: blending the science of business with the art of creativity.
I believe the magic of marketing is in the questions, not just the answers. Clients have often praised my knack for asking those thoughtful, pointed questions – ones that unearth truths and inspire compelling campaigns. If you've felt "stuck" in your marketing journey, sometimes the right question is all it takes to unlock a world of potential. That’s my secret sauce, and it’s deceptively simple!
My “Aha!” moment - why I started Ashley Winkel Marketing
Throughout my tenure, I started to notice a pattern. The clients who were the most successful were engaged in the process, willing to get their hands dirty, and really wanted to understand why we were making the recommendations that we did. Those clients went on to astronomical success and weren’t reliant on the agency to continue to see results.
Then there were the clients who had the “you’re the expert, you tell me” attitude. This attitude, I believe, is perpetuated by a few things:
- A lack of understanding and perception that marketing is really complicated which taps into our inferiority complex and imposter syndrome
- Our culture telling entrepreneurs that in order to successfully scale their business they should outsource everything their either don’t understand or simply don’t want to do.
This realization sparked my "Aha!" moment. I genuinely believe that if you are smart enough to run your own business, you are absolutely smart enough to develop your own marketing strategy.
My goal? To uncomplicate marketing. To strip away the noise and walk you step-by-step through the process in a way that empowers you for a LIFETIME of success.
Who am I here to serve?
You. The sophisticated, invested entrepreneur who's not afraid of a little grit and grind. While I won't ask you to do all the heavy lifting, understanding the 'why' behind our strategy will be your ticket to confidence and success.
What do I believe?
A well-crafted strategy is your ticket to not just wild success, but also to relish the freedom it brings. 'm deeply passionate about the power of a strategy to set you free from the day-to-day operations of your business.
Having a documented and clear strategic plan enables you to create alignment with all of your resources, plan farther in advance, and pivot easily as the business landscape evolves (and it always does).
So if you're not only looking for success but the freedom to actually enjoy that success and take your hands off the wheel every now and then, a strategy is what you need.
What do I offer?
My core offering is the development of a marketing strategy designed to get you ‘un stuck’ and moving forward at full velocity toward your next major revenue milestone.
That said, I also offer 'done-for-you' marketing services to execute every channel and tactic within the strategy. Utilizing my extensive network of experts from years in the business, you're not longer limited to the quality of resources you can afford to hire or the experience of the employees your agency is able to retain. With me, you have the flexibility to work with the right person for every job.
If you already have trusted partners or in-house resources, I can also play the quarterback for you to keep everyone in lock-step and oversee the execution to ensure it is in alignment with our strategy and in a constant state of optimization.
Let’s get personal, shall we?
I just celebrated ten years of marriage to my husband Duane. We actually met at an advertising industry event in Kansas City back in 2010 - a setup from a mutual friend - and despite his being 5 years younger he proved to be wise beyond his years. I was instantly attracted to his work ethic, sincerity and big dreams.
In addition to being an amazingly supportive partner, he’s a former web developer with extensive knowledge of back-end systems, processes and tools. Also an entrepreneur he advises clients regarding their tech stack, websites, SEO, email automations and technical digital marketing needs.
Together we share a love for live music, live theatre, hiking, skiing, fashion, traveling and incredible meals. Being classic DINKS (Dual-Income No Kids) we are obsessed with our corgi, Miley, who is absolutely the star of the show at home.
We’re both midwesterners - I’m from Kansas and Duane is from Missouri - but we’ve lived in Scottsdale, AZ for the last 10 years and are committed to never shoveling snow again!
